Face Forward

By Shannon Shelton Miller

Photo by Jon Keeling

During the past year, Alexander Donath, MD, of Cincinnati Facial Plastic Surgery has traveled the world, addressing colleagues in places as diverse as Rio de Janeiro, London and Dubai about the latest trends in cosmetic procedures that keep patients looking their best.

Dr. Donath, a Cincinnati native who’s led Cincinnati Facial Plastic Surgery since 2007, notes that while the global vision of beauty is becoming more multi-ethnic, aesthetics remain consistent across nations – maintaining a healthy, youthful appearance is of prime importance.

That’s where Dr. Donath works his magic. As part of the emerging trends and technologies committee for the American Academy of Facial Plastic Surgery, he’s among the first practitioners to discover and research innovations in the field and determine which would be beneficial to present to the full academy for discussion. Those that pass muster then end up in offices like his, and Dr. Donath remains on the cutting edge of introducing new techniques to improve cosmetic procedures he can offer patients.

“We tend to be very selective with any technology we bring in,” Dr. Donath says. “We want to bring leading-edge techniques to our patients, but in a judicious manner to make sure patients get great value and really great results.”

Dr. Donath is excited about the use of platelet-rich plasma and longer-lasting fillers and injectables that have become popular in the past few years. Platelet-rich plasma (“PRP”), which involves drawing a patient’s blood to concentrate the platelet-rich portion and then injecting it into the scalp or face, is being used to stimulate follicles for hair regrowth and improve skin quality. This has been very popular for women and men who have begun seeing thinning of their hair but are not yet ready for a hair transplant. Such PRP injections into the face have gained international attention thanks to publicity from Kim Kardashian and other Hollywood celebrities. PRP has also shown some promise in reducing downtime from laser resurfacing and fat transfer for volume rejuvenation.

Dr. Donath also offers Volbella, a new lip filler with up to a full one year durability as opposed to the 6-to-9 months of prior lip fillers; Kybella, a new non-surgical injectable treatment for neck fat used as an alternative to liposuction; and Voluma, a cheek filler with a two-year durability. All can be administered on an outpatient basis, with clients leaving the office as soon as the procedure is complete.

Regardless of the treatments available, Cincinnati Facial Plastic Surgery offers an individualized, personalized plan for every patient, whether that plan consists of the latest surgical or non-surgical outpatient procedures. After patients complete an intake questionnaire, Dr. Donath typically has them look in the mirror and discuss areas they’d like to treat. He then goes over the range of options available for treatment and the downtime needed for each potential procedure. No treatment plan is the same. “We never put the same amount of filler in everyone’s cheeks and lips, as people can have vastly differing anatomy and areas for improvement and rejuvenation,” he said.

Sometimes patients show pictures of celebrities or others who have a desired feature, but Dr. Donath cautions patients when this approach might not work well for his or her facial symmetry. He asks that they trust his experience to get them as close as possible to the desired look, without looking overdone, and then they won’t be disappointed.

And he’s right. Consistently high ratings from patients, glowing testimonials from satisfied clients and the local, national and international accolades Dr. Donath receives for his work year after year show he’s doing something right.